Valkyrie Academy.

The purple-haired girl on the altar kept her eyes closed as an overwhelming spiritual force stirred fierce gales around her body.

"What an immense spiritual force!"

"No wonder she is said to have the strongest spiritual talent of this class."

The students below grew restless, gazes full of envy as they stared up at the girl. Amitya was the strongest among the Illusory God Division's students, since her talent reached SS-level, followed by Isabelle at S+.

From past summoning experience, an SS-level like Amitya had a great chance of summoning an emperor-level beast, while Isabelle, at S+, was guaranteed to summon a king-level illusory beast.

But this year was unusual. The success rate of beast summoning had been one hundred percent, and the quality had been extraordinary. Five king-level beasts and one emperor-level had appeared already. No one knew what level Amitya, with her higher talent, might call forth. Would it be an emperor-level beast or something beyond?

While everyone waited in nervous anticipation, Amitya herself seemed dazed. Like Isabelle before her, Amitya's spiritual perception was drenched in darkness, as though some terrifying presence lurked there, blocking any further exploration.

She did not know what to do. Since the star array had not appeared beneath the other party, she could not communicate directly with that divine beast, nor could she see its true form.

Still, her intuition warned her that danger lay ahead. That sense of danger grew sharper, whispering that something dreadful would happen if she lingered.

Hesitation tugged at her. Her strong spiritual gift had sharpened her intuition since childhood, and it had saved her from many outer world perils. Now, it told her that summoning that divine beast would not be as simple as she thought.

But to give up...

She recalled Isabelle's unwilling gaze when walking to the altar. Amitya, who had grown up together with Isabelle, drew in a deep breath.

Boom!

The air quaked around the purple-haired girl as an even greater surge of spiritual force burst from her. This spiritual force was so strong that arcs of purple lightning coiled across her body. It twisted reality, causing shockwaves to ripple through the atmosphere.

"How can this be?! Wasn't Amitya's spiritual talent only SS-level?!"

The students below erupted in an uproar as they stared at the glowing figure on the altar in disbelief.

Even the eyes of the golden-haired girl who had already summoned an emperor-level beast widened. "I knew it. She was hiding her strength all along."

On the platform, Fiorina frowned as she watched the purple-haired girl's hair dance wildly. "What did she discover? Amitya actually released all her sealed spiritual force."

On the red planet, the thirty-two-point star array blazed with light.

As it surged with intense spiritual fluctuations that rivaled mythical-level might, a phantom of a purple-haired girl condensed into reality. She would soon be able to see the illusory beast world through her eyes.

Enormous craters dotted the earth that was dyed the same crimson as the sky. Massive beasts loomed in the distance, yet their gazes brimmed with terror and awe.

"A human!"

Just as Amitya "opened her eyes" and saw the world, a voice tinged with faint surprise rang in her ears, startling her. When she looked over, she saw a black-haired youth lowering his right hand at the edge of the array.

The instant she beheld that pale, slender hand, a soul-shaking danger swept through her heart. She had a feeling that if she had delayed even a second in condensing her spiritual projection, disaster would have struck.

She was right. Chen Chu had been prepared to unleash a fragment of his willpower to seal both the array and the surge of spiritual force. Using them as "material," he intended to forge a "piece of clothing" that he could use to slip inside.

This was the other method Chen Chu had come up with after realizing he could not break the summoning array. Since he was using only a faint thread of his willpower, he would avoid provoking too violent a reaction from the principles. The bronze bell ought to be able to shield him.

But he had not expected the surge of spiritual force to condense into a "person."

Instinctively, he paused. After all, the human species was rare. There were many races with forms similar to humans in the mythical world and the infinite worlds, but at most they bore partial resemblance. At the moment, only the Human Federation on Blue Planet and the ancient civilization that had ventured forth tens of thousands of years ago to open the six divine regions were known.

To see a projection formed of spiritual force that was nearly identical to a human girl was almost unheard of.

This world has humans? Are they a branch left behind by the ancient civilization, like Shi Feirou's people from the Lost World? Or another human civilization altogether, unconnected to Blue Planet?

While Chen Chu's mind raced, Amitya herself was dazed.

The divine beast, the one revered and feared by countless illusory beasts... is a human? Or perhaps the ultimate evolution of an illusory beast is to take human form?

After a moment's hesitation, she stuttered nervously. "H-Hello."

Her words were neither of the ancient civilization nor of any foreign tongue Chen Chu knew, yet through the medium of spiritual fluctuations, he understood her meaning.

Chen Chu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a faint wave of spiritual power carrying his cold words. "What is your name, and why have you come here?"

He can speak! And he doesn't sound too fierce!

Amitya drew in a deep breath and bowed respectfully. "Honored and mighty king of illusory beasts, my name is Amitya. I come from the Valkyrie Academy's Illusory God Division. According to an ancient covenant, our division may activate the altar to link with the world of illusory beasts, allowing students to forge contracts with them. This time, I too have come to seek a powerful beast as my partner."

Chen Chu took in the purple-haired girl staring anxiously at him. "And then?"

"Then..." Amitya blinked, thought for a moment, and answered, "Then I will join Isabelle and the others to fight the maze's demonic beings."

Chen Chu's eyes flickered with a trace of strangeness. For one gifted with such astonishing spiritual talent, she seemed a little... slow.

When she saw the black-haired youth beyond the array remain silent, Amitya wavered, fearing her answer displeased him. "In truth, I do not like fighting. How about... I cook meals for you every day instead?"

Okay, she's definitely a little slow.Chen Chu shook his head inwardly.When have I ever agreed to become her illusory beast? And as a student of some Valkyrie Academy, isn't it absurd to summon a beast not for battle, but to feed it home-cooked meals every day?

Wait. I nearly got pulled into her pace.

Chen Chu suddenly realized that, for a fleeting moment, his thoughts had actually followed her words. His eyes narrowed as a glimmer of curiosity surfaced.

Even with all his powers sealed, this girl's spiritual force, or rather, some invisible psychic strength within her, was capable of influencing him.

That alone proved how unusual she was.

This world is intriguing.

On the surface, it appeared ordinary, yet it contained patterns designed to lure foreign powers in and suppress them, immense reserves of the origin of the world, and now a newly surfaced human civilization.

All of it piqued Chen Chu's curiosity further. The thirty-two-pointed array beneath the purple-haired girl dimmed, and her projection twisted, becoming unstable.

"No, the altar's energy is running out!" Amitya cried, her gaze focusing on Chen Chu outside the array.

Chen Chu's expression remained calm as he examined the flickering array. "I am no illusory beast, nor does anyone have the right to forge a summoning contract with me."

Disappointment filled Amitya's eyes.

I knew it. This is a divine beast spoken of only in legend. How can such an existence form a contract with a human?

But then Chen Chu continued, "However, regarding this maze and its demonic beings, I feel an instinctive loathing... a desire to destroy them all."

Naturally, he had no intention of serving as anyone's beast. But neither did he wish to forgo this chance to enter the golden-blue world. A casual excuse would suffice to enter.

The girl's face brightened instantly.

"Mighty king of illusory beasts, you are willing to form a contract with Amitya!?"

Chen Chu said evenly, "I said that no one has the right to form a summoning contract with me. Therefore, the content of that contract must be changed. Furthermore, I am not the king of illusory beasts."

"No problem, you may change whatever you wish, mighty king of illusory beasts." The purple-haired girl nodded quickly, wholly ignoring his denial.

In the illusory beast world, where even king-level and emperor-level illusory beasts fear him, what else can he be but the king of illusory beasts?

As for the outer heavens' evil gods, according to her people's understanding, all foreign gods that entered the world of Cescilles were suppressed and sealed within the Underground Palace of the Evil Gods.

Boom!

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